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The North Dakota Prevention of Animal Cruelty Initiative was on the 2012 ballot in North Dakota as an initiated state statute. If enacted the measure would it a class C felony for an individual to maliciously harm a living dog, cat or horse. The measure also creates some exemptions from the law, including agricultural workers, veterinarians, scientific researchers, and hunters.[1]

Text of measure

This initiated statutory measure would create section 36-21.1-02.1 of the North Dakota Century Code. This measure would make it a class C felony for an individual to maliciously and intentionally burn, poison, crush, suffocate, impale, drown, blind, skin, beat to death, drag to death, exsanguinate, disembowel, or dismember any living dog, cat or horse and provide a court with certain sentencing options. The measure would not apply to production agriculture, or to lawful activities of hunters and trappers, licensed veterinarians, scientific researchers, or to individuals engaged in lawful defense of life or property.

YES — means you approve the measure summarized above.

NO — means you reject the measure summarized above.

Support

North Dakotans to Stop Animal Cruelty are leading the campaign to pass the measure. They have said that the reason for limiting the initiative to protecting three species is to keep the law specific in aiming to prevent the worst kinds of animal cruelty.[3]

Opposition

The North Dakota Animal Stewards are opposing the measure on the grounds that it does not protect against other common forms of animal abuse, like neglect and malnourishment. They also have said that they would prefer a law that protects all animals, rather than only cats, dogs, and horses.[3]